This Week at UUP

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Potluck Sunday, September 13: Come one, come all!
Join us for a potluck immediately following the service on September 13th at the Greaney/Boatsman home.
Let us continue our in-gathering celebration after the service! Bring a dish to share.
Please see the Order of Service for directions or call Matt or KC Greaney.

UUP's Annual Garage and Bake Sale was a huge success!
The majority of UUPetalumanaries contributed by either sorting and pricing, working the sale, donating items, buying items, baking goodies, or hauling away unsold stuff. Thanks to this tremendous collective congregational effort, we raised OVER $1,500 to support the Religious Education program at UUP. Thank you, one and all!

Bring your gathered Water and Stones
Remember to bring your water and stones gathered over summer travels for the Annual Water and Stones Ritual on Sunday!

Share the Plate Sunday
UUP will share-the-plate on Sunday, September 13th with the Petaluma Educational Foundation, which enhances educational excellence in all Petaluma-area public and non-profit private schools through grants, scholarships and fine arts programs.

Progressive Festival is coming up! Can you help?
The Progressive Festival is Sunday, Sept. 20th from noon to 5 pm. In the past, UUP has hosted a table with brochures, etc. as an outreach activity. If we do this again this year, we need a minimum of 6 volunteers to work the event. That means gathering material, setting up before noon, staffing the table and packing up at 5 pm. Interested? Speak to Phil Boyle or any Board member ASAP!

UUP Women's Group
The Women's Group will meet Monday, September 21st at 7:00 pm at the home of Jean Conrad. The topic for the evening will be "Long Range Planning". Do you "go with the flow", letting serendipity determine the course of your life? Or do you have a plan for the next few years? Whether you call it a to-do list, a wish list or a bucket list, what aims or goals guide you along your way? If you like, bring something to share to illustrate your perspective - an object, photos, poetry, a reading, or just bring yourself. We look forward to sharing with each other. - Jan Crosby for the Women's Group

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES

(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, September 13: Coming Home: Our Annual Water and Stones Ritual
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
As summer draws to a close, let us gather together again. Bring the water and stones that you collected on your summer excursions and adventures, and we will share them with each other as we reflect on our journeys in this intergenerational, participation service.
We will welcome recently and newly-joined members of UUP at this service, and Larking About will sing.

Sunday, September 20: The Green Revolution in Religion
Guest Minister: Rev. Bob Murphy
Worship Leader: Elisabeth Hathaway
Many would consider the Green Sanctuary movement to be associated with preservation and environmental protection issues, but this is a narrower definition than one of its authors, Rev Bob Murphy, holds: join us in our service this morning as he talks with us about his deep dedication to the larger scope of environmental justice, in which he brings together a committment to incorporating concerns about anti-racism and economic justice, awareness of African-American liberation, respect for the Judaic holidays and exploring the wisdom of Exodus.
The Rev. Bob Murphy is a Unitarian Universalist minister who has been active in environmental justice work for several decades and one of the co-authors of the "Green Sanctuary" book. As a high school student, he joined Cesar Chavez at the beginning of the farm workers' strike in Delano. As an adult, he was a business agent for SEIU Local 254, which is the union that represents janitors in the Boston area. Bob is a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, as well as Tamalpais High School in Marin County and San Francisco State. Nowadays, Bob and his wife Lyn Dalzell serve the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

Sunday, September 27: Tikkun ha’ olam: Mending the world
To celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days, Joyce Tischler and Ellen Beeler will lead us in an exploration of “tikkun ha’ olam” (Jewish social justice) — nurturing a vision of the world as it ought to be and working to achieve that vision. Please bring a thought, a story or a photo to share with the congregation about your vision to heal and repair our fractured world.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* UUP Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, September 14th at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house.
* "Larking About" (UUP's choir) rehearses each Wednesday evening from 8 to 9:30 pm at the home of Diana Spaulding and David Dodd. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP: Food For Thought

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Annual Religious Education Garage and Bake Sale
Saturday, August 29th at the Greaney's home, 8 Nob Hill Terrace
Please come support this important fundraiser!

5th Sunday Luncheon and Informational Presentation - August 30, 12:00- 2:00 p.m.
Please plan to stay after the service this Sunday to enjoy a tasty lunch prepared for you by the Social Responsibility Committee and the Religious Education Classes. Afterwards, UUP's Leadership Council would like to share some informaton with you from their recent meeting with PCD staff members Cilla Raughley and Jeanelyse Adams. No charge for the fellowship and information. Donations of any amount towards the cost of the lunch would be most welcome.

Fall Women's Retreat!
October 9-11 at Bodega Bay! Join a small group of wonderful women for a weekend of talking, cooking, creating and beach walking together! Please reserve your spot ASAP! We have room for about ten women; cost is dependent on the exact number participating but is about $140/per person. Contact T Hathaway with reservations/questions.

The UUP fall social-cultural season begins soon!
The first event will be going to the Cinnabar to see "Always Patsy Cline" on September 11th. It was here last year to rave reviews and returns. So, get your own ticket and email Dick Allen the number in your party, as Cinnabar will save us seats together. We will simultaneously celebrate Jean Conrad's birthday and two years as president of UUP Board of Trustee with a dinner gathering somewhere to be determined before the play. So, get your ticket (visit http://www.cinnabartheater.org/ or call 763-8920), and let Dick know you are going.

Progressive Festival is coming up! Can you help?
The Progressive Festival is Sunday, Sept. 20th from noon to 5 pm. In the past, UUP has hosted a table with brochures, etc. as an outreach activity. If we do this again this year, we need a minimum of 6 volunteers to work the event. That means gathering material, setting up before noon, staffing the table and packing up at 5 pm. Interested? Speak to Phil Boyle or any Board member ASAP!

New Member Sunday - September 13
If you have been attending UUP for awhile and have found something of value to you here, we hope that you are considering membership. We will be welcoming new members into the congregation on Sunday, September 13 and invite you to join us at that time. Please contact David Dodd or Hope Stewart to learn more. You may also speak to any Board member about the joys and responsibilities of church membership.

Gather Ye Water and Stones
When you're out and about on travels, journeys and adventures this summer, remember to gather water and stones to share at our annual Water and Stones participation worship service scheduled for September 13th.


UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, August 30th: Food for Thought: UU Values and Eating to Care for the World
Worship Leader: Joyce Tischler, assisted by the UUP Social Responsibility Committee
Our personal choices of what to eat have global implications on the environment, human hunger, poverty and social inequality, animal welfare and climate change. As individuals and as a liberal religion, how can we build an ethical, sustainable and peaceful world through our everyday food choices?
This service will be followed by a scrumptious (and very ethical!) 5th Sunday Luncheon. Please join us.

Sunday, September 6th: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice
Guest speaker: Rev. Tristy Taylor
Worship Leader: Diana Spaulding
We are all walking unique paths as we live our lives to the fullest. As we make choices and commitments, we are taking an active role in creating our lives. I call this process 'Crafting an Authentic Life', or 'Co-Creating with Spirit'. When we make a regular, spiritual practice of creating, we can create a more lively and dynamic creative life as well as feel a deeper connection to ourselves, our communities and the divine.

Sunday, September 13: Coming Home: Our Annual Water and Stones Ritual
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
As summer draws to a close, let us gather together again. Bring the water and stones that you collected on your summer excursions and adventures, and we will share them with each other as we reflect on our journeys in this intergenerational, participation service.

Regularly Scheduled Meetings / Events:
"Larking About" (UUP's choir) rehearses each Wednesday evening from 8 to 9:30 pm at the home of Diana Spaulding and David Dodd. New singers are always welcome!
UUP Men's Group meets September 4, Friday, from 7:30 to 9:30 at the home of George Beeler. All UUP men are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

"New to UU" Visitors' Orientation on Sunday, July 19th after service
Trying out UUP? Visiting for the first time or have been for a while, and want to learn more about our congregation and about Unitarian Universalism? Gather with several UUP members to ask questions you might have and to hear more about UUP. We’ll meet near the fireplace immediately following the service.

Annual Religious Education Garage and Bake Sale
This year's sale will be held August 29th at 8:00 a.m. at the Greaney's home, 8 Nob Hill Terrace. Please help support this important fundraiser by donating used items or baked goodies to sell. We also need volunteers to work the sale that day and to collect large items from donors. Drop-offs for donated items are being accepted at the Greaney's on the two preceding Sundays, 8/16 and 8/23. Please wash, presort and fold all clothing items and linens prior to drop off. Call Leslie Harrison for further information.

Summer Swim Party at the Wests'
The Wests will host an all-congregation swim party at their home, on Saturday, August 1st from 1 - 5 p.m. Please bring a snack or drink to share.

Gather Ye Water and Stones
When you're out and about on travels, journeys and adventures this summer, remember to gather water and stones to share at our annual Water and Stones participation worship service scheduled for September 13th.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES

(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, July 19th : "Our Journeys /Our Stories: This I Believe"
Worship Leader: Joyce Tischler
Two UUP members, Rakesh Klamm and Ellen Beeler, will share the stories of their faith journey to Unitarian Universalism and how their values have been shaped.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
The next Women's Group meeting is Monday, July 20th at Jean Conrad's house. Topic: Our favorite things. Bring something to share - a book, a poem, a reading or anything that makes you feel good.

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP: Father's Day

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

UUP will 'share the plate' this Sunday
In keeping with UUP's commitment to supporting community organizations, UUP will 'share the plate' this Sunday with the Petaluma Kitchen. The Petaluma Kitchen serves a no-cost mid-day meal every day, 100 meals per year, to low and very-low income men, women and children in our community, and often are the first contact for families or individuals who need referrals to other community resources. They also operate the Food Box Program, delivering 240 boxes of food each week, 500,000 pounds of food a year, to very-low income seniors and families.

"New to UU" Visitors' Orientation on Sunday, June 21, after service
Trying out UUP? Visiting for the first time or have been for a while, and want to learn more about our congregation and about Unitarian Universalism? Gather with several UUP members to ask questions you might have and to hear more about UUP. We’ll meet near the fireplace immediately following the service.

Developing spiritual practice through movement with Meredith, Jodi and Jan
Members and friends of UUP are invited to come explore developing spiritual practice through movement with Jodi, Meredith and Jan, Meredith’s partner, as they host their third three-hour workshop on Friday, June 19th from 6:45 to 10 pm. Space is limited, so if you are interested in participating, please reply asap.
The introductory session will begin with improvisational movement to music. We’ll progress to moving without music wherein movement emerges from within. There will be time to reflect, journal, draw, etc., between sessions and then a time for sharing at the end. (Some light snacks will also be served.)
The three of us have all found this to be a fascinating practice and are constantly surprised at what emerges. It is a way to bypass the thinking mind and to access a kind of knowing that lives uniquely in the body, a truthfulness that gets around the censors of thought and ego.
Our intention is to offer these sessions until a group forms that will meet together regularly.
Let us know if you would like more information!

Gather Ye Water and Stones!
When you're out and about on travels, journeys and adventures this summer, remember to gather water and stones to share at our annual Water and Stones participation worship service scheduled for September 13th.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES

(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, June 21, 2009: "Daddy Dearest: A Father's Day Service"
Guest speaker: Steven Friedman
Worship Leaders: Berkley Sturgeon and David Dodd
Images, stereotypes, and memories of fathers and fathering trigger a wide range of emotion in our culture. Join us as we explore these feelings in a Father's Day service with speaker Steven Friedman, who is a Unitarian Universalist--a member of our sister congregation in Marin--and an oral historian and blogger see his blog: Senior Dad)

Sunday, June 28, 2009: Redefining Call for a Liberal Religious Community
Worship Leaders: Meredith Guest and Jodi Boyle
What do you feel called to do in this world? What does it look like when people act out of a sense of being called to do something? What would it be like if the community of UUP were organized around supporting each of us to pursue what we felt called to do? Join us for an exploration of "call" and what it means for a liberal religious community.
After the service, please join members of the Worship Committee for a discussion of worship at UUP. This is an opportunity to give feedback, make suggestions, express what you value most about what we do together on Sunday mornings. The Worship Committee is always interested in feedback, though it is particularly useful at this time of year before we go into our annual planning retreat on August 15.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* The UUP Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, June 22nd at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad’s house.

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP: Bring a Flower!

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Sunday’s service: bring a flower!
Please bring a flower or two from your garden for Sunday’s celebration of unity in community through our annual flower communion.

Norman Solomon Presentation
UUP is proud to sponsor the appearance of nationally syndicated columnist Norman Solomon, Sunday June 14, 12:30 PM, at Women's Club, 518 B Street in downtown Petaluma, discussing his book "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death". Following his discussion, we will show the film of the same title based on the book and narrated by Sean Penn, followed by a Q&A session conducted by Norman Solomon.
Norman Solomon is a nationally prominent media critic and is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of numerous books. His latest book, "Made Love, Got War: Close Encounters with America’s Warfare State" was published in 2007.
Admission is free. A light lunch will be served. For further information contact Karen Elliott or David Strange.

Developing spiritual practice through movement with Meredith, Jodi and Jan
Members and friends of UUP are invited to come explore developing spiritual practice through movement with Jodi, Meredith and Jan, Meredith’s partner, as they host their third three-hour workshop on Friday, June 19th from 6:45 to 10 pm. Space is limited, so if you are interested in participating, please reply asap.
The introductory session will begin with improvisational movement to music. We’ll progress to moving without music wherein movement emerges from within. There will be time to reflect, journal, draw, etc., between sessions and then a time for sharing at the end. (Some light snacks will also be served.)
The three of us have all found this to be a fascinating practice and are constantly surprised at what emerges. It is a way to bypass the thinking mind and to access a kind of knowing that lives uniquely in the body, a truthfulness that gets around the censors of thought and ego.
Our intention is to offer these sessions until a group forms that will meet together regularly.
Let us know if you would like more information or to sign-up.

Meet with fellow UUs at the General Assembly!
UU General Assembly
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 24-28, 2009
More information, talk to Marlene Abel, UUP Director of Religious Education

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES

(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, June 14, 2009: "Flower Communion: Fostering Unity as Religious Liberals"
Join us for a celebration of unity in community with each other through our annual flower communion. Meredith Guest will offer a homily that speaks to how this tradition relates to our role as religious liberals. Please bring a flower or two from your garden.

Sunday, June 21, 2009: "Warm Father God: A Father's Day Service"
Guest speaker: Steven Friedman
Worship Leaders: Berkley Sturgeon and David Dodd
Images, stereotypes, and memories of fathers and fathering trigger a wide range of emotion in our culture. Join us as we explore these feelings in a Father's Day service with speaker Steven Friedman, who is a Unitarian Universalist--a member of our sister congregation in Marin--and an oral historian and blogger (see his blog, Senior Dad).
To help with planning this service, please take a few minutes to fill out an online survey. (If you completed the survey prior to Mother's Day, we thank you for your feedback.)

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* The UUP Women's Group will meet on Monday, June 15th at Jean Conrad's house. The topic is "Embracing Summer".
* The UUP Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, June 22nd at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad’s house.
* Larking About, the UUP choir meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome! Our last rehearsal will be next Wednesday, June 17--we'll take a break until mid-August.

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP: Annual Congregational Meeting

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Come to the Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 7th!
All members and friends are urged to come and have your voice heard at our Congregational Meeting on June 7th right after services.
* The Budget for the year 2009-2010 will be discussed and voted upon by the membership
* New Board member (s) and nominating committee elected
* You will meet the members of the newly formed Leadership Council
* Results of the congregational survey and the vision offering (including an update on getting a P.T. Minister)
* A delicious lunch is being planned by the Social Responsibility Committee

UUP celebrated our Seventh Annual Memorial Day Retreat
If you were not among the 32 adults and 20 kids to be there in person, the next best thing are some pictures of the retreat that have been posted thanks to David Dodd and Hope and others on our UUP website and Flickr page (link below). Thanks to all of you for a wonderful time--thanks to Marlene and David Hathaway and Tony for the DEE-licious and plentiful food, and to everyone for pitching in and making the retreat flow from hour to day, and to the women for the women's group, and to the kids for all the hilarity and lightness and joy, and to Jodi for the Sunday service, and to Carol and KC and Karen for the artwork and kid activities, and to Richard and David and Tony and all the singers for the music, and to Dick for the night of games, and to all the conversations and quiet times and pool games and haiku (which will be available soon for all to see) and to Four Springs for the beautiful and homey UUP home away from home. We honored Jan Crosby as this year's recipient of our Keepers of the Flame award, given to those UUP people who give of themselves above and beyond to keep our inspiration and community alive and thriving, and we honored Hope, Karen and Elizabeth Nielsen (in absentia) for their Firecracker energy and commitment, emerging in the past year as new leaders and voices among us. We enjoyed and deepened our connections to one another and our community. Until next year….
- T Hathaway

Norman Solomon Presentation
UUP is proud to sponsor the appearance of nationally syndicated columnist Norman Solomon, Sunday June 14, 12:30 PM, at Women's Club, 518 B Street in downtown Petaluma, discussing his book "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death". Following his discussion, we will show the film of the same title based on the book and narrated by Sean Penn, followed by a Q&A session conducted by Norman Solomon.
Norman Solomon is a nationally prominent media critic and is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of numerous books. His latest book, "Made Love, Got War: Close Encounters with America’s Warfare State" was published in 2007.
Admission is free. A light lunch will be served. For further information contact Karen Elliott or David Strange.



Developing spiritual practice through movement with Meredith, Jodi and Jan
Members and friends of UUP are invited to come explore developing spiritual practice through movement with Jodi, Meredith and Jan, Meredith’s partner, as they host their third three-hour workshop on Friday, June 19th from 6:45 to 10 pm. Space is limited, so if you are interested in participating, please reply asap.
The introductory session will begin with improvisational movement to music. We’ll progress to moving without music wherein movement emerges from within. There will be time to reflect, journal, draw, etc., between sessions and then a time for sharing at the end. (Some light snacks will also be served.)
The three of us have all found this to be a fascinating practice and are constantly surprised at what emerges. It is a way to bypass the thinking mind and to access a kind of knowing that lives uniquely in the body, a truthfulness that gets around the censors of thought and ego.
Our intention is to offer these sessions until a group forms that will meet together regularly.
Let us know if you would like more information or to sign-up.

Meet with fellow UUs at the General Assembly!
UUA General Assembly
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 24-28, 2009
More information, talk to Marlene Abel, UUP Director of Religious Education

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CORNER: "...service is our prayer"
5th Sunday Luncheon moved to June 7th
We've moved the 5th Sunday Luncheon to June 7th to coincide with UUP's annual June Congregational Meeting. Plan to stay after services for a delicious, healthy salad bar lunch made with local, organic and vegan ingredients prepared by your Social Responsibility Committee. Lunch will be followed by our all-important Congregational Meeting, led by your Board of Trustees, where you will hear what's happening at UUP and be able to exercise your privilege and responsibility to vote on issues important to UUP's future. Don't miss it!
Social Responsibility Committee
What we do
The Social Responsibility Committee was formed last fall to create an avenue for folks at UUP to help make a difference in the world beyond our congregation. SRC includes both the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Carbon Rings groups. SRC is also the committee tasked with presenting the UUA's Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI), "Ethical Eating: Food and Environmental Justice”, to our congregation. This CSAI encompasses aspects of environmental concern, world hunger, and concern for our treatment of animals. Whatever your passion, there is something here for you. On a local level, we have participated in the creation of UUP's environmental parade float, assisted COTS/Petaluma Kitchen with food drives, and we select the Share-The-Plate recipients each month.
How you can help
"Many hands make light work" - and allow us to do even more! You are invited to join us and help UUP make a difference in our community and in the wider world. As we say each Sunday in our Affirmation, "...service is our prayer."
Our next meeting is Tuesday, June 9th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm at Jan Crosby's. For directions and more information, contact Co-Chairs Jan Crosby or Earl Cruser.
SRC Quote for the Week
"Let us bless the source of life that brings forth bread from the Earth. Let our lives be a blessing to the Earth that sustains us, and to all the creatures who, like us, call this planet home." -- John Robbins

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES

(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, June 7, 2009: "An Evolutionary Parable about the Creation of Matter"
Worship Participants: Marlene Abel, Director of Religious Education, and the RE children and youth
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
Our RE youth will present "Startull", an evolutionary parable about an average yellow star who discovers the worth of being just medium size star and learns important lessons about the ways of the universe. Marlene Abel, Director of Religious Education and former chemist, will reflect on how the life cycles of stars and the formation of the chemical elements in stellar furnaces led to creation of life on our planet. This is an intergenerational service in which the "stars" of the RE program will be recognized and honored.

Sunday, June 14, 2009: "Flower Communion: Fostering Unity as Religious Liberals"
Join us for a celebration of unity in community with each other through our annual flower communion. Meredith Guest will offer a homily that speaks to how this tradition relates to our role as religious liberals. Please bring a flower or two from your garden.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* The UUP Men’s Group will meet Friday, June 5th at George Beeler’s house - tea 7p, starting 7:30 - 100 Fair Street at the corner of Douglas.
* UUP Worship Leaders will meet Sunday, June 7th from 12:45 pm to 3:30 pm in T's office.
* The UUP Board of Trustees will meet Monday, June 8th at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad’s house.
* Larking About, the UUP choir meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Save the date for an important Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 7th!
All members and friends are urged to come and have your voice heard at our Congregational Meeting on June 7th right after services.
* The Budget for the year 2009-2010 will be discussed and voted upon by the membership
* New Board member (s) and nominating committee elected
* You will meet the members of the newly formed Leadership Council
* Results of the congregational survey and the vision offering (including an update on getting a P.T. Minister)
* A delicious lunch is being planned by the Social Responsibility Committee

Developing spiritual practice through movement with Meredith, Jodi and Jan
Members of UUP are invited to come explore developing spiritual practice through movement with Jodi, Meredith and Jan, Meredith’s partner, as they host their third three-hour workshop on Friday, June 19th from 6:45 to 10 pm. Space is limited, so if you are interested in participating, please reply asap.
The introductory session will begin with improvisational movement to music. We’ll progress to moving without music wherein movement emerges from within. There will be time to reflect, journal, draw, etc., between sessions and then a time for sharing at the end. (Some light snacks will also be served.)
The three of us have all found this to be a fascinating practice and are constantly surprised at what emerges. It is a way to bypass the thinking mind and to access a kind of knowing that lives uniquely in the body, a truthfulness that gets around the censors of thought and ego.
Our intention is to offer these sessions until a group forms that will meet together regularly.
Let us know if you would like more information or to sign-up.

Meet with fellow UUs at the General Assembly!
UU General Assembly
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 24-28, 2009
For more information, talk to Marlene Abel, UUP Director of Religious Education

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CORNER: "...service is our prayer"
5th Sunday Luncheon moved to June 7th
We've moved the 5th Sunday Luncheon to June 7th to coincide with UUP's annual June Congregational Meeting. Plan to stay after services for a delicious, healthy salad bar lunch made with local, organic and vegan ingredients prepared by your Social Responsibility Committee. Lunch will be followed by our all-important Congregational Meeting, led by your Board of Trustees, where you will hear what's happening at UUP and be able to exercise your privilege and responsibility to vote on issues important to UUP's future. Don't miss it!
Social Responsibility Committee
What we do
The Social Responsibility Committee was formed last fall to create an avenue for folks at UUP to help make a difference in the world beyond our congregation. SRC includes both the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Carbon Rings groups. SRC is also the committee tasked with presenting the UUA's Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI), "Ethical Eating: Food and Environmental Justice”, to our congregation. This CSAI encompasses aspects of environmental concern, world hunger, and concern for our treatment of animals. Whatever your passion, there is something here for you. On a local level, we have participated in the creation of UUP's environmental parade float, assisted COTS/Petaluma Kitchen with food drives, and we select the Share-The-Plate recipients each month.
How you can help
"Many hands make light work" - and allow us to do even more! You are invited to join us and help UUP make a difference in our community and in the wider world. As we say each Sunday in our Affirmation, "...service is our prayer."
Our next meeting is Tuesday, June 9th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm at Jan Crosby's. For directions and more information, contact Co-Chairs Jan Crosby or Earl Cruser.
SRC Quote for the Week
"The religion that ends with the individual, ends." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, May 24, 2009: "Forgiveness"
Guest Speaker: Dr. Karen Melander-Magoon
Worship Leader: Joyce Tischler
Celebrate the miracle of forgiveness and the bonds we share simply by being human and a part of this wonderful world.
Guest Speaker Dr. Karen Melander-Magoon comes to us from the First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco, where she is a member. Last year she received her Doctorate of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary under the Graduate Theological Union, with coursework also at Starr King School for the Ministry. After years singing major opera roles in Europe and raising two children there, she returned to the States to continue performing and composed three one-woman musical portraits of women in history, including Georgia O’Keeffe and Clara Barton. Karen preaches and sings throughout the Bay Area and often weaves her own songs and poetry into her sermons and homilies.

Sunday, May 31, 2009: "Deep Listening: Tools for Change"
Guest Speaker: Kelly Philpott Brisbois
Worship Leaders: David Dodd and Berkley Sturgeon
"How we understand the past is the most important element determining our future"- Historian James Carroll
Guest Speaker Kelly Philpott Brisbois, an attorney and oral historian, will share her "Journeys of Reconciliation" project. Kelly led a group of Marin High School students as they joined forces with their contemporaries from Johannesburg, South Africa, in a study on the history of segregation and racism. As these students explored issues of race and justice, they were also focusing on the process of reconciliation in both countries. They interviewed a diverse group of activists who experienced the struggle to end Apartheid in South Africa. As a comparative study, they also interviewed activists from the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. While this project centered on a past that is often painful, it is a project that also looks to the future. Please join us after the service as Kelly shares a short film and will answer any questions you may have about this amazing project.
To view a clip from this project, please visit www.oralhistoryeducation.com.

Sunday, June 7, 2009: "An Evolutionary Parable about the Creation of Matter"
Worship Participants: Marlene Abel, Director of Religious Education, and the RE children and youth
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
Our RE youth will present "Startull", an evolutionary parable about an average yellow star who discovers the worth of being just medium size star and learns important lessons about the ways of the universe. Marlene Abel, Director of Religious Education and former chemist, will reflect on how the life cycles of stars and the formation of the chemical elements in stellar furnaces led to creation of life on our planet. This is an intergenerational service in which the "stars" of the RE program will be recognized and honored.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS

Larking About, the UUP choir meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP: Coming of Age Celebration

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Coming of Age Celebration on Sunday
Please come join the celebration for our first UUP graduates of the Coming of Age program, beginning at 10 am and continuing after the service. There will be special brunch foods to honor Amy West, Bailey Boatsman and Lizzie Gardner on their achievement. Middle School youth are invited to arrive at 9:30 to bake muffins and prepare fruit for the celebration. Any questions, please contact Marlene Abel.

"New to UU" Visitors' Orientation on Sunday, May 17, after service
Trying out UUP? Visiting for the first time or have been for a while, and want to learn more about our congregation and about Unitarian Universalism? Gather with several UUP members to ask questions you might have and to hear more about UUP. We’ll meet near the fireplace immediately following the service.

Upcoming Lecture of Interest
Scotty McLennan
Jesus Was a Liberal: Reclaiming Christianity for All
Dean for religious life at Stanford University, Unitarian Universalist Rev. Scotty McLennan introduces Jesus Was a Liberal, which advocates a sense of religion based not on doctrinal readings of scripture but on the humanity behind Christ's teachings.
Tuesday, May 19, 7pm
The Glaser Center - 547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa
Tickets are $7 and are available at all Copperfield's Books' Sonoma County locations.

Meet with fellow UUs at the General Assembly!
UU General Assembly
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 24-28, 2009
More information, talk to Marlene Abel, UUP Director of Religious Education

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, May 17, 2009: "Coming of Age Celebration"
Worship Leader: Diana Spaulding
Join us in honoring our youth participants in the district-wide coming of age program. They will lead worship and share statements of belief that they have developed through their experiences. Everyone is invited to come early for a celebratory brunch at 10 am.

Sunday, May 24, 2009: "Forgiveness"
Guest Speaker: Dr. Karen Melander-Magoon
Worship Leader: Joyce Tischler
Celebrate the miracle of forgiveness and the bonds we share simply by being human and a part of this wonderful world.
Guest Speaker Dr. Karen Melander-Magoon comes to us from the First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco, where she is a member. Last year she received her Doctorate of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary under the Graduate Theological Union, with coursework also at Starr King School for the Ministry. After years singing major opera roles in Europe and raising two children there, she returned to the States to continue performing and composed three one-woman musical portraits of women in history, including Georgia O’Keeffe and Clara Barton. Karen preaches and sings throughout the Bay Area and often weaves her own songs and poetry into her sermons and homilies.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
The UUP Women's Group will meet on Monday, May 18th at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house. The topic is "New Beginnings", and attendees are welcome to bring a reading or a poem.
Larking About, the UUP choir meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Share the Plate this Sunday with the Petaluma Educational Foundation
As we express our support of the community, UUP will share its non-pledge offerings this Sunday with the Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF), a privately funded, non-profit organization whose primary goal is to raise money in the community to directly benefit the schoolchildren of all Petaluma's 32 public, charter and non-profit private schools.

Coming of Age Celebration and Brunch - Sunday, May 17, 10 am
Join us for brunch and celebration as part of a district-wide Coming of Age program honoring our youth, who will lead worship and share statements of belief.

Meet with fellow UUs at the General Assembly!
UU General Assembly
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 24-28, 2009
More information, talk to Marlene Abel, UUP Director of Religious Education.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, May 10, 2009: "Are You My Mother?"
Worship Leader: Elisabeth Hathaway
In 1929, The Times declared that "The greatest moral force in history is motherhood." Mother: archetypal image of life, symbol of love, and the insistent collaborative voice for peace, which inspired Mother's Day. Today we honor mothers, in all forms and on all levels. Join us, both in the service and by voicing your experiences and responses to the online questionnaire about mothers and mothering (visit www.uupetaluma.org for the survey).

Sunday, May 17, 2009: "Coming of Age Celebration"
Worship Leader: Diana Spaulding
Join us in honoring our youth participants in the district-wide coming of age program. They will lead worship and share statements of belief that they have developed through their experiences. Everyone is invited to come early for a celebratory brunch at 10 am.

Sunday, May 24, 2009: "Forgiveness"
Guest Speaker: Dr. Karen Melander-Magoon
Worship Leader: Joyce Tischler
Celebrate the miracle of forgiveness and the bonds we share simply by being human and a part of this wonderful world.
Guest Speaker Dr. Karen Melander-Magoon comes to us from the First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco, where she is a member. Last year she received her Doctorate of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary under the Graduate Theological Union, with coursework also at Starr King School for the Ministry. After years singing major opera roles in Europe and raising two children there, she returned to the States to continue performing and composed three one-woman musical portraits of women in history, including Georgia O’Keeffe and Clara Barton. Karen preaches and sings throughout the Bay Area and often weaves her own songs and poetry into her sermons and homilies.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* The UUP Board of Trustees will meet Monday, May 11th at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad’s house.
* The UUP Women's Group will meet on Monday, May 18th at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house. The topic is "New Beginnings", and attendees are welcome to bring a reading or a poem.
* Larking About, the UUP choir meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

From the President…
The March 1st Time and Talent Auction was a HUGE success! We made a total of $4,722. (Our goal was $2,800). In the live auction the largest draw was the Cultural Evening and Dinner, offered by Meredith Guest and the Boyles, it brought in $270. Second place went to the Tragical Magical Mystery Tour offered by Jan Ogren and Dean Watson - at $225. Third, at $200, was the Sightseeing Flight donated by Bob Minkin. The silent auction was also very successful with so many donated items that we had trouble finding table room! That is a really wonderful problem to have. Also, this year, for the first time we had donations from some Petaluma businesses. A truly luscious lunch, prepared by some of our youth and RE volunteers, was enjoyed by the 92 people who came to the event.
So many people to thank....donors, bidders (47 of them), dessert makers, people who set up and stayed after to clean up, the lunch makers, the organizers - with the leadership of Diana Spaulding, the musicians, and our talented auctioneer, Mike Iritz.
It was great fun. Let's do it again next year!
Blessings to all,
Jean Conrad
Board President

Come See UUP in the Butter & Eggs Day Parade!
We are float #35, so be sure to get your front row seat to cheer us on as we go by! Be there - along Kentucky Street or on Petaluma Blvd - at noon this Saturday. Look for the Indian elephant made of recycled parts. Hope to see you there! Contact Stacey Meinzen with questions.
If you would like to march with UUP in the parade, please be at Walnut Park at the corner of 4th and D streets by 11:45 am on Saturday. Please let Stacey know if you plan to join us!

District Assembly and General Assembly are coming up!
Pacific Central District Assembly
May 1-3, 2009
Fremont, CA
For more information, visit www.pcd-uua.org/events/DA-2009/index.htm .

UUA General Assembly
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 24-28, 2009
More information, contact Marlene Abel, UUP Director of Religious Education.

Space limited, sign up now for the Annual UUP Memorial Day Retreat - May 22nd-25th!
We have room for four more adults (kids, too) at Four Springs Retreat Center for our seventh annual four-day have-a-great-time-together fun fest! We live in community and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy: cooking & meals together, swimming pool, rustic cabins, beautiful remote location, a smattering of fun groups and mostly: time to visit and get to know each other. Please let T know ASAP if you would like to reserve a spot(s)… or help create & organize! We especially need people to organize kid events and support, support with food/meals, to plan the Worship Service, and to organize/communicate/administer the details! If interested, contact T Hathaway.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

This Sunday, April 26, 2009: "Shut up?!"
Guest Speaker: Russell Menk
Worship Leader: Joyce Tischler
Have you ever said anything you regretted afterwards? We have two eyes, two ears and one mouth, so we look and listen twice as much as we speak, but sometimes we still talk too much.
Guest Speaker Russell Menk is a retired rocket scientist who is now a first year Unitarian Universalist theology student at Pacific School of Religion. He moved to the Bay Area from Utah last summer with his partner, three dogs, and ¾’s of a cat to attend seminary. He and his family live in San Leandro.

Sunday, May 3, 2009: "Spring Forward: Pledge Sunday"
Worship Leaders: Elizabeth Nielsen and David Dodd

May 10, 2009: "Women's Decade Circle"
Worship Leader: Elisabeth Hathaway

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
Larking About, the UUP choir meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP: The 7th Principle in Daily Living

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

District Assembly and General Assembly - from Marlene Abel, UUP Director of Religious Education
Members of UUP, including myself, will be attending District Assembly (DA) and General Assembly this year. DA will be in Fremont, May 1-3, and will offer truly outstanding program for children and youth this year. I particularly encourage Middle School Youth (grades 6-8) to attend, as they will have the opportunity to determine Middle School District programming for next year. Both Middle School and High School Youth will swim in the hotel pool, play cooperative games, have a sleep over, worship, eat pizza and have fun! Elementary and younger kids will have lots of activities as well. Please ask me if you have questions about children's programs at DA. More information is available at http://www.pcd-uua.org/events/DA-2009/index.htm .
Jan Ogren and Dean Watson will be attending DA, so contact them if you would like to connect!
General Assembly (GA), a gathering of thousands of UUs from all over the country, is in Salt Lake City this year from June 24-28. It is a inspirational gathering with many workshops, worship services, social action, and entertainment. There is a GA choir and special youth programs. Please let me know if you have interest in GA, and I can tell you more. I've attended 6 previous GA's, and enjoyed every one of them.

"New to UU" Visitors' Orientation this Sunday, April 19
Trying out UUP? Visiting for the first time or have been for a while, and want to learn more about our congregation and about Unitarian Universalism? Gather with several UUP members to ask questions you might have and to hear more about UUP. We’ll meet near the fireplace immediately following the service.

Space limited, sign up now for the Annual UUP Memorial Day Retreat - May 22nd-25th!
We have room for four more adults (kids, too) at Four Springs Retreat Center for our seventh annual four-day have-a-great-time-together fun fest! We live in community and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy: cooking & meals together, swimming pool, rustic cabins, beautiful remote location, a smattering of fun groups and mostly: time to visit and get to know each other. Please let T know ASAP if you would like to reserve a spot(s)… or help create & organize! We especially need people to organize kid events and support, support with food/meals, to plan the Worship Service, and to organize/communicate/administer the details! If interested, contact T Hathaway.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

This Sunday, April 19, 2009: The 7th Principle in Daily Living"
Worship Leaders: Stacey Meinzen and David Dodd
As Unitarian Universalists, we profess to believe in respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. In other words, we are part of a larger system, not separate from it, and we acknowledge that this system exists not just for our sake, but for its own sake. What does this mean for the way we live daily? How do we reconcile disparities between this paradigm and the way we actually live in modern culture?

Sunday, April 26, 2009: "Shut up?!"
Guest Speaker: Russell Menk
Worship Leader: Joyce Tischler
Have you ever said anything you regretted afterwards? We have two eyes, two ears and one mouth, so we look and listen twice as much as we speak, but sometimes we still talk too much.
Guest Speaker Russell Menk is a retired rocket scientist who is now a first year Unitarian Universalist theology student at Pacific School of Religion. He moved to the Bay Area from Utah last summer with his partner, three dogs, and ¾’s of a cat to attend seminary. He and his family live in San Leandro.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS

UUP Membership Committee will meet Sunday, April 26th, 12:15 pm in the Christian Science Reading Room.

UUP Women's Group will meet Monday, April 20th, 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house. The Topic: Doing Your Best. Do we always do our best? What if we run out of time for a particular task? Or we forget to do something and only have 5 minutes left? Yikes! Then there everyday tasks like flossing or fixing dinner or laundry or telling a joke. You get the idea.

Larking About, the UUP choir meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Share-the-Plate Sunday
In keeping with UUP's commitment to supporting community efforts, on Sunday, we will split the non-pledge offerings with Petaluma People Services Center. Their goal is to reduce poverty, physical and mental abuse, chemical dependence, violence, ignorance, isolation and mental illness, among children, adults, families and seniors. The hands-on, face-to-face support that individuals receive from PPSC is wide ranging; counseling, job placement, gang prevention, daily hot meals, rides to the doctor, case management, financial assistance for homeless prevention, informational and referrals. People Helping People.

Easter Egg Hunt this Sunday
Our children and youth will participate in an Easter Egg Hunt immediately following the worship service. The hunt will take place in the grassy area between the Woman's Club and the Christian Science Building, with separate hunt areas for ages 5 and under, and our 6-10 year olds. The Middle School Group, grades 5-8, will decorate real hard boiled eggs, stuff plastic eggs and help the Easter Bunny hide them. The Easter Bunny will bring special treats for the Middle School youth for their assistance. UUP adults are invited to watch the fun of the hunt. We also welcome donations of a dozen, hard boiled eggs (colored or not).

District Assembly and General Assembly - from Marlene Abel, UUP Director of Religious Education
Members of UUP, including myself, will be attending District Assembly (DA) and General Assembly this year. DA will be in Fremont, May 1-3, and will offer truly outstanding program for children and youth this year. I particularly encourage Middle School Youth (grades 6-8) to attend, as they will have the opportunity to determine Middle School District programming for next year. Both Middle School and High School Youth will swim in a the hotel pool, play cooperative games, have a sleep over, worship, eat pizza and have fun! Elementary and younger kids will have lots of activities as well. Please ask me if you have questions about children's programs at DA. More information is available at http://www.pcd-uua.org/events/DA-2009/index.htm .

General Assembly (GA), a gathering of thousands of UU's from all over the country, is in Salt Lake City this year from June 24-28. It is a inspirational gathering with many workshops, worship services, social action, and entertainment. There is a GA choir and special youth programs. Please let me know if you have interest in GA, and I can tell you more. I've attended 6 previous GA's, and enjoyed every one of them.

UUP in Butter and Eggs: come build the float!
We will have another float building party on April 12th after service from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Woman's Club. Bring a snack to share and your creative capacities. RSVP to Stacey Meinzen by Friday if you plan to attend. Let's show Petaluma what we're made of – and what our big elephant float is made of (recycled parts). We need cereal boxes and cardboard milk cartons ... well rinsed.

Rebuilding Together
Please join the UUP Men's Group in the annual Rebuilding Together workday on Saturday, April 18th. Contact Phil Boyle by April 10th if you'd like to sign up or have questions. Service is our prayer.

Religious Education Committee Recruiting New Members
Please consider joining our Religious Education (RE) committee for the coming year. We help plan curriculum and provide support for ongoing RE classes and special services and events. The program serves 40 children and youth, and we have a lot of fun! If you are looking for ways to contribute to the congregation, we'd love your help. For more information, please contact Leslie Harrison.

SAVE THE DATE and SIGN UP NOW! Join us for the Annual UUP Memorial Day Retreat - May 22nd-25th!
We have room for fifty people (usually 30+adults and 20+ kids!) at Four Springs Retreat Center for our seventh annual four-day have-a-great-time-together fun fest. We live in community and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy: cooking & meals together, swimming pool, rustic cabins, beautiful remote location, a smattering of fun groups and mostly: time to visit and get to know each other. Please let T know ASAP if you would like to reserve a spot(s)… or help create & organize! We especially need people to organize kid events and support, support with food/meals, to plan the Worship Service, and to organize/communicate/administer the details! If interested, contact T Hathaway.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CORNER - "...service is our prayer"
A huge "thank you" to all who participated in UUP's first-ever 5th Sunday Luncheon on March 29th! It was a great success in many ways. We enjoyed several varieties of vegan chilies prepared by the SRC members, organic greens from Laguna Farm in Sebastapol (lagunafarm.com), organic sprouted wheat bread from Petaluma's Alvarado Street Bakery (alvaradostreetbakery.com), delicious non-dairy "ice cream," and - of course - great company! Due to several requests, we will have recipe booklets available at the Social Responsibility Table for all who would like one.

Many folks stayed to work on our float for the Butter and Eggs Day Parade, under the creative direction of Stacey Meinzen. We also collected several bags of groceries and $40 in cash donations for COTS/Petaluma Kitchen, to help meet their increasing need. Special thanks to Jean Conrad for delivering our donations to Petaluma Kitchen, to all who pitched in with set-up and clean-up, and to Barney Blankenship and George Beeler, our awesome dishwashing team! (No disposable paper or plastic products went into the landfill due to this luncheon! We even composted our leftover food scraps!)

It was a fun community building time for UUP and a great kick-off to the Unitarian Universalist Association's new Congregational Study/Action Issue, "Ethical Eating: Food & Environmental Justice." Please watch This Week at UUP for news of future events and visit the Social Responsibility Table for more information.

SRC thought for the week: "Let us bless the source of life that brings forth bread from the Earth. Let our lives be a blessing to the Earth that sustains us, and to all the creatures who, like us, call this planet home." -- John Robbins


UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

This Sunday, April 12, 2009: "The Passion of Jesus: A Critical Examination of Easter"
Guest Speaker: Meredith Guest
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
In certain Christian traditions, the week culminating in Easter Sunday is called the Passion of Christ, passion coming from the Latin word for suffering. But another meaning of the word 'passion' is something to which one gives oneself with devotion and commitment. Following the excellent book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, the same authors I referenced for the Christmas sermon, let's look at the original intent of the early Christian writers within their historical circumstances and see if we can identify the real passion of Jesus and how that might still speak to us in our time. - Meredith
Meredith Guest is a member of our own Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma. A former Baptist minister, Meredith has become known for her passionate sermons, which inspire, incite, and invite us to examine our beliefs and assumptions more closely.


Sunday, April 19, 2009: "The Seventh Principle: Respect for the Interdependent Web of Existence"
Worship Leaders: Stacey Meinzen, David Dodd and Jan Crosby

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* UUP Board of Trustees will meet Monday, April 13th at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house.
* Larking About, the UUP choir, meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

UUP in Butter and Eggs: come build the float!
A huge THANK YOU to those that helped with the first Butter and Eggs Day float work party on Sunday. It was a hit! We will be having another one on April 12th after service from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Woman's Club. Bring a snack to share and your creative capacities. RSVP to Stacey Meinzen if you plan to take part in the April 12th work party. Let's show Petaluma what we're made of – and what our big elephant float is made of (recycled parts). We need cereal boxes and cardboard milk cartons ... well rinsed.

Rebuilding Together
Please join the UUP Men's Group in the annual Rebuilding Together workday on Saturday, April 18th. Contact Phil Boyle by April 10th if you'd like to sign up or have questions. Service is our prayer.

Religious Education Committee Recruiting New Members
Please consider joining our Religious Education (RE) committee for the coming year. We help plan curriculum and provide support for ongoing RE classes and special services and events. The program serves 40 children and youth, and we have a lot of fun! If you are looking for ways to contribute to the congregation, we'd love your help. For more information, please contact Leslie Harrison.

SAVE THE DATE and SIGN UP NOW! Join us for the Annual UUP Memorial Day Retreat - May 22nd-25th!
We have room for fifty people (usually 30+adults and 20+ kids!) at Four Springs Retreat Center for our seventh annual four-day have-a-great-time-together fun fest. We live in community and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy: cooking & meals together, swimming pool, rustic cabins, beautiful remote location, a smattering of fun groups and mostly: time to visit and get to know each other. Please let T know ASAP if you would like to reserve a spot(s)… or help create & organize! We especially need people to organize kid events and support, support with food/meals, to plan the Worship Service, and to organize/communicate/administer the details! If interested, contact T Hathaway.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

This Sunday, April 5, 2009: "The Individual Heart and the Congregational Vision"
Worship Leaders: Diana Spaulding and Elizabeth Nielsen
Our congregation is a beautiful tapestry woven by our common dreams and vision, and nurtured by our individual hearts. What meaningful spiritual moments have you experienced within our UUP community recently? What might we envision together as UUP sustains a religious liberal presence in our wider world, and grows and matures to serve our shared values?

April 12, 2009: "The Passion of Jesus: A Critical Examination of Easter"
Guest Speaker: Meredith Guest
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
In certain Christian traditions, the week culminating in Easter Sunday is called the Passion of Christ, passion coming from the Latin word for suffering. But another meaning of the word 'passion' is something to which one gives oneself with devotion and commitment. Following the excellent book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, the same authors I referenced for the Christmas sermon, let's look at the original intent of the early Christian writers within their historical circumstances and see if we can identify the real passion of Jesus and how that might still speak to us in our time. - Meredith
Meredith Guest is a member of our own Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma. A former Baptist minister, Meredith has become known for her passionate sermons, which inspire, incite, and invite us to examine our beliefs and assumptions more closely.


REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* UUP Men’s Group meets Friday, April 3rd - tea 7p, starting 7:30 - at George Beeler's house, 100 Fair Street at the corner of Douglas
* UUP Worship Leaders meets Sunday, April 5th from 12:45 pm to 3:30 pm in T's office
* Larking About, the UUP choir: meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP: Luncheon, Food for COTS, Float Creation!

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

UUP 5th Sunday Luncheon and Fun-Time - March 29th, noon to 2:00 pm
Who said "There's no such thing as a free lunch"? We're having one right here at UUP on Sunday! You will be served a tasty lunch prepared by the Social Responsibility Committee: Chili, salad, bread, dessert and beverage. We'll even have a little something extra for kids who don't like chili. All we ask is that you bring non-perishable canned or packaged food items for donation to COTS/Petaluma Pantry. Let's see how many bags of food UUP can collect for others in our community who are hungry and in need of our help. Or if you like, you may make a cash donation, and we'll do the grocery shopping. Then we'll have some fun as we prepare to support our community in a different way. The Butter & Eggs Day Parade Task Force will engage all ages in helping to create the UUP float for the April 25th parade! Don't miss it!

Take a tour of COTS
COTS offers tours of their family shelter on the second Thursday of every month. The next tour is April 9th and includes a free lunch.
When: Thurs., April 9th, noon - 1pm. Lunch served at 11:45 am, compliments of the Petaluma Kitchen
Where: Center for Homeless Children and Their Families, 1500 Petaluma Blvd. South

Religious Education Committee Recruiting New Members
Please consider joining our Religious Education (RE) committee for the coming year. We help plan curriculum and provide support for ongoing RE classes and special services and events. The program serves 40 children and youth, and we have a lot of fun! If you are looking for ways to contribute to the congregation, we'd love your help. For more information, please contact Leslie Harrison.

SAVE THE DATE and SIGN UP NOW! Join us for the Annual UUP Memorial Day Retreat - May 22nd-25th!
We have room for fifty people (usually 30+adults and 20+ kids!) at Four Springs Retreat Center for our seventh annual four-day have-a-great-time-together fun fest. We live in community and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy: cooking & meals together, swimming pool, rustic cabins, beautiful remote location, a smattering of fun groups and mostly: time to visit and get to know each other. Please let T know ASAP if you would like to reserve a spot(s)… or help create & organize! We especially need people to organize kid events and support, support with food/meals, to plan the Worship Service, and to organize/communicate/administer the details! If interested, contact T Hathaway.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

This Sunday, March 29, 2009: "The Transient and the Permanent"
Guest Speaker: Jamie McReynolds
Worship Leader: Elisabeth Hathaway
In the past several months we have been looking at our seven UU Principles. Today, join us to consider what are the transient and permanent aspects of our UU faith? Answers to this question have changed over the last two hundred years, and as we have been noting in our recent services, these principles and purposes are currently under review. Are our UU principles a transient or permanent aspect of our faith?
Jamie McReynolds is a seminarian at Starr King School for the Ministry and will be graduating with a Masters of Divinity degree in May 2009. He plans to serve as a chaplain in a hospital or hospice. Jamie is a former resident of Petaluma and was a lay leader in the UU Congregation, Santa Rosa.

April 5, 2009: "The Individual Heart and the Congregational Vision"
Worship Leaders: Diana Spaulding and Elizabeth Nielsen

April 12, 2009: "The Passion of Jesus: A Critical Examination of Easter"
Guest Speaker: Meredith Guest
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
In certain Christian traditions, the week culminating in Easter Sunday is called the Passion of Christ, passion coming from the Latin word for suffering. But another meaning of the word 'passion' is something to which one gives oneself with devotion and commitment. Following the excellent book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, the same authors I referenced for the Christmas sermon, let's look at the original intent of the early Christian writers within their historical circumstances and see if we can identify the real passion of Jesus and how that might still speak to us in our time. - Meredith
Meredith Guest is a member of our own Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma. A former Baptist minister, Meredith has become known for her passionate sermons, which inspire, incite, and invite us to examine our beliefs and assumptions more closely.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* Larking About, the UUP choir, meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP: Come Walk the Labyrinth!

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

UUP 5th Sunday Luncheon and Fun-Time - March 29th, noon to 2:00PM
Who said "There's no such thing as a free lunch"? We're having one right here at UUP on Sunday, March 29th! You will be served a tasty lunch prepared by the Social Responsibility Committee: Chili, salad, bread, dessert and beverage. We'll even have a little something extra for kids who don't like chili. All we ask is that you bring non-perishable canned or packaged food items for donation to COTS/Petaluma Pantry. Let's see how many bags of food UUP can collect for others in our community who are hungry and in need of our help. Then we'll have some fun as we prepare to support our community in a different way. The Butter & Egg Days Parade Task Force will engage all ages in helping to create the UUP float for the April 25th parade! Don't miss it!

Religious Education Field Trip to Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa - Friday, March 20th from 5 to 9 pm
Shabbat service from 6 to 7 pm. Children and youth, first grade and up, and invited to our field trip to Shomrei Torah. We will carpool from Petaluma at 5 pm and meet a friend of Marlene Abel's and fifth grade teacher at Old Adobe Elementary School, Heidi Doughty, for an orientation to the Shabbat service at 5:30 pm at the synagogue. We will also have a light snack. After the musical, intergenerational service, we will eat pizza at a Santa Rosa restaurant and discuss our experience. Our return to Petaluma is estimated to be 9 pm. We will need adult drivers and chaperones. Contact Marlene for more information.

SAVE THE DATE! Join us for the Annual UUP Memorial Day Retreat - May 22nd-25th!
We have room for fifty people (usually 30+ adults and 20+ kids!) at Four Springs Retreat Center for our seventh annual four-day have-a-great-time-together fun fest. We live in community and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy: cooking & meals together, swimming pool, rustic cabins, beautiful remote location, a smattering of fun groups and mostly: time to visit and get to know each other. ALSO: Let T know ASAP if you want to help create & organize! We especially need people to organize kid events and support, support with food/meals, to plan the Worship Service, and to organize/communicate/administer the details! If interested, contact T Hathaway.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

This Sunday, March 22, 2009: "To Walk a Sacred Path: The Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool"
Guest Presenter: Marty Hoffman
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
This Sunday will include an introduction to using the labyrinth as a tool for meditation, inspiration and healing. We will walk the labyrinth together and learn some of its history and relevance for today.
Marty Hoffman is a labyrinth facilitator trained at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and Chartres Cathedral in France. A former religious educator for UUs of San Mateo, she has used the labyrinth in Coming of Age programs and as a tool for religious education. She is currently working as an Orff Music teacher and Children’s Choir Director.
Please note that you will be asked to remove your shoes before walking the labyrinth unless necessary for health or stability.

March 29, 2009: "The Transient and the Permanent"
Guest Speaker: Jamie McReynolds
Worship Leader: Elisabeth Hathaway
In the past several months we have been looking at our seven UU Principles. Today, join us to consider what are the transient and permanent aspects of our UU faith? Answers to this question have changed over the last two hundred years, and as we have been noting in our recent services, these principles and purposes are currently under review. Are our UU principles a transient or permanent aspect of our faith?
Jamie McReynolds is a seminarian at Starr King School for the Ministry and will be graduating with a Masters of Divinity degree in May 2009. He plans to serve as a chaplain in a hospital or hospice. Jamie is a former resident of Petaluma and was a lay leader in the UU Congregation, Santa Rosa.

April 5, 2009: "The Individual Heart and the Congregational Vision"
Worship Leaders: Diana Spaulding and Elizabeth Nielsen

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
* Larking About, the UUP choir, meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP

Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


To subscribe to "This Week at UUP" for email delivery, please send a request to uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

"New to UU" Visitors' Orientation this Sunday, March 15
Trying out UUP? Visiting for the first time, or for a while, and want to learn more about our congregation and about Unitarian Universalism? Gather with several UUP members to ask questions you might have and to hear more about UUP. We’ll meet near the fireplace immediately following the service.

Religious Education Field Trip to Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa, Friday, March 20th from 5 to 9 pm
Shabbat service from 6 to 7 pm. Children and youth, first grade and up, and invited to our field trip to Shomrei Torah. We will carpool from Petaluma at 5 pm and meet a friend of Marlene Abel's and fifth grade teacher at Old Adobe Elementary School, Heidi Doughty, for an orientation to the Shabbat service at 5:30 pm at the synagogue. We will also have a light snack. After the musical, intergenerational service, we will eat pizza at a Santa Rosa restaurant and discuss our experience. Our return to Petaluma is estimated to be 9 pm. We will need adult drivers and chaperones. Contact Marlene for more information.

Butter & Eggs Day Parade
The Butter & Eggs Day Parade is on April 25th, and it's a time for UUP to really show our community what we're all about. The theme is "Recycle, Reuse and Remember", and we want everyone to remember us! If you have creativity to lend to this project or even a few hours on April 25th, please help us out. Kids especially welcome. Talk to Stacey Meinzen for details.

SAVE THE DATE! Join us for the Annual UUP Memorial Day Retreat, May 22nd-25th!
We have room for fifty people (usually 30+adults and 20+ kids!) at Four Springs Retreat Center for our seventh annual four-day have-a-great-time-together fun fest. We live in community and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy: cooking & meals together, swimming pool, rustic cabins, beautiful remote location, a smattering of fun groups and mostly: time to visit and get to know each other. ALSO: Let T know ASAP if you want to help create & organize! We especially need people to organize kid events and support, support with food/meals, to plan the Worship Service, and to organize/communicate/administer the details! If interested, contact T Hathaway.

Adult Religious Exploration Groups are Forming
If you are interested in participating in any of these three short courses of religious exploration sign up on Sunday or contact Diana at weaverly@earthlink.net . Each course offers you the opportunity to deepen your spiritual life and to make friends at UUP. Availability of each course is subject to interest -- sign up to make it happen!
1) Building Your Own Theology
Developing a personal theology is not an academic exercise; it has to do with the very stuff of our lives. This 10-session class invites you to develop your personal credos: the fundamental religious beliefs, values and convictions that inform and direct the living of your life. Workbook cost $17. Co-leaders: Bruce Eriksen and
2) Evensong
Gather together with a small group of people for 8 sessions of earnest listening and sharing of thoughts, beliefs, and journeys in spirituality and religious life. Evensong is an experience of shared worship. Weekly or biweekly; time TBD. Looking for 1-2 facilitators.
3) A Chosen Faith: An introduction in Unitarian Universalism (a book discussion group)
Thought-provoking, entertaining sourcebook for searchers, newcomers and lifelong learners. Discuss a chapter per month or week. Book costs $15; some copies available for load. Meeting times TBD; looking for 1-2 moderators.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CORNER - "...service is our prayer"
COTS Food Drive: Thanks to all who answered the COTS plea for food for needy families last Sunday. And thanks to Kathy Nieberding for delivering our donated groceries to the Petaluma Kitchen. Did you see the article on page B1 of Wednesday's Press Democrat? Maybe something you brought was in that photo.
5th Sunday Luncheon: All are invited to stay after the service on March 29th for UUP's first-ever intergenerational 5th Sunday Luncheon. We'll have several different varieties of chili, delicious bread from a local bakery, local organic salad, dessert and a beverage. Afterwards we'll enjoy a fun activity for all ages. Co-sponsored by Social Responsibility and the Butter & Eggs Day Parade Task Force.
SRC quote for the week: "Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." -- Peter Marshall

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, March 15, 2009: "Spring! Rebirth! Awakening Our Dormant Spirituality"
Worship Leader: Joyce Tischler
A participation service celebrating all that Spring means. Bring your favorite "Spring" poem to share.

Sunday, March 22, 2009: "To Walk a Sacred Path: The Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool"
Guest Presenter: Marty Hoffman
Worship Leader: Jodi Boyle
This Sunday will include an introduction to using the labyrinth as a tool for meditation, inspiration and healing. We will walk the labyrinth together and learn some of its history and relevence for today.
Marty Hoffman is a labyrinth facilitator trained at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and Chartres Cathedral in France. A former religious educator for UUs of San Mateo, she has used the labyrinth in Coming of Age programs and as a tool for religious education. She is currently working as an Orff Music teacher and Children’s Choir Director.
Please note that you will be asked to remove your shoes before walking the labyrinth unless necessary for health or stability.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
UUP Membership Committee: Sunday, March 15th, 12:15 pm in the Christian Science Reading Room.
UUP Women's group: Monday, March 16th, 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house. This month’s topic is "FUN".
Larking About, the UUP choir, meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery

This Week at UUP

The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World.


ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

"Get Me to the Church on Time!"--Don't Forget to Set Your Clocks Forward This Sunday
March 8 will be the first day of Daylight Saving Time this year, so please remember to set your clocks forward on Saturday night, and be prepared to show up on time for this Sunday's service--details below.

Share the Plate this Sunday with COTS
COTS offers help and hope to homeless persons in Sonoma County by providing safe shelter and housing, helping people develop steady incomes and helping them get back under a roof of their own.They help homeless families become stable and break the cycle of homelessness by teaching homeless parents to make their children's needs a high priority and to provide a safe, loving and secure home for their children. As we express our support of our community, UUP will share its non-pledge offerings this Sunday with COTS. Visit them online at www.cots-homeless.org.
See the Social Responsibility Corner for info on this Sunday's COTS food collection.

The Miracle Worker at Burbank Auditorium, Santa Rosa, this Saturday, March 7th at 2 pm

A few tickets are left! Please call Marlene immediately at 763-0443, or email at marlenea@sonic.net , if you wish to join us. Our very own Harley Boatsman is performing in SRJC's production of the Miracle Worker, the story of Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan. Come support Harley, enjoy this moving story of triumph over great difficulties, all in the company of other UUPers. Religious Education has reserved a block of three rows of seats at the bargain matinee price of $5 per seat. We are arranging carpools for children who need a ride. Recommended by SRJC for ages 10 and up, but slightly younger children may attend at their parents' discretion. Of course, all UUP adults are very welcome to join us!

Religious Education Field Trip to Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa, Friday, March 20th from 5 to 9 pm

Shabbat service from 6 to 7 pm. Children and youth, first grade and up, and invited to our field trip to Shomrei Torah. We will carpool from Petaluma at 5 pm and meet a friend of Marlene Abel's and fifth grade teacher at Old Adobe Elementary School, Heidi Doughty, for an orientation to the Shabbat service at 5:30 pm at the synagogue. We will also have a light snack. After the musical, intergenerational service, we will eat pizza at a Santa Rosa restaurant and discuss our experience. Our return to Petaluma is estimated to be 9 pm. We will need adult drivers and chaperones. Contact Marlene for more information.

SAVE THE DATE! Join us for the Annual UUP Memorial Day Retreat, May 22nd-25th!
We have room for fifty people (usually 30+adults and 20+ kids!) at Four Springs Retreat Center for our seventh annual four-day have-a-great-time-together fun fest. We live in community and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy: cooking & meals together, swimming pool, rustic cabins, beautiful remote location, a smattering of fun groups and mostly: time to visit and get to know each other. ALSO: Let T know ASAP if you want to help create & organize! We especially need people to organize kid events and support, support with food/meals, to plan the Worship Service, and to organize/communicate/administer the details! If interested, contact T Hathaway. Yay!

Butter & Eggs Day Parade
The Butter & Eggs Day Parade is on April 25th, and it's a time for UUP to really show our community what we're all about. The theme is "Recycle, Reuse and Remember", and we want everyone to remember us! If you have creativity to lend to this project or even a few hours on April 25th, please help us out. Kids especially welcome. Talk to Stacey Meinzen for details.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CORNER - "...service is our prayer"
Food collection for COTS this week: This Sunday, in addition to designating COTS as our share-the-plate beneficiary, we will be collecting food items for the Petaluma Kitchen. COTS has sent out a plea for "urgently needed food" for our hungry neighbors. Due to the current economic situation their requests for food assistance have increased 36%, donations have decreased, and food supplies are running dangerously low. COTS is requesting "immediate help from the community" to meet this need. They are especially asking for "substantial items that go a long way toward supplying a meal, such as pasta and sauce, rice and beans, or boxes of cereal in family sizes." Please come to church this Sunday with a generous heart and a donation of food to help meet this critical need. And if anyone would like to volunteer to deliver our donations to the Petaluma Kitchen after the service, that would also be greatly appreciated.
Speaking of food… all members, friends and visitors to UUP on Sunday March 29th are invited to stay after the service for UUP's first ever "5th Sunday Luncheon”. More information to follow next week!
SRC quote for the week: "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

Adult Religious Exploration Groups are Forming
If you are interested in participating in any of these three short courses of religious exploration sign up on Sunday or contact Diana Spaulding. Each course offers you the opportunity to deepen your spiritual life and to make friends at UUP. Availability of each course is subject to interest -- sign up to make it happen!
1) Building Your Own Theology
Developing a personal theology is not an academic exercise; it has to do with the very stuff of our lives. This 10-session class invites you to develop your personal credos: the fundamental religious beliefs, values and convictions that inform and direct the living of your life. Workbook cost $17. Co-leaders: Bruce Eriksen and
2) Evensong
Gather together with a small group of people for 8 sessions of earnest listening and sharing of thoughts, beliefs, and journeys in spirituality and religious life. Evensong is an experience of shared worship. Weekly or biweekly; time TBD. Looking for 1-2 facilitators.
3) A Chosen Faith: An introduction in Unitarian Universalism (a book discussion group)
Thought-provoking, entertaining sourcebook for searchers, newcomers and lifelong learners. Discuss a chapter per month or week. Book costs $15; some copies available for load. Meeting times TBD; looking for 1-2 moderators.

UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am, at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, March 8: "To Whom It May Concern": Unitarian Universalist Approaches To Prayer
Guest Speaker: Sue Magidson
Worship Leader: David Dodd
For UUs who don't believe in a favor-granting God, prayer may seem superfluous at best. Why pray if you don't believe that your prayers will be answered or that anyone is listening? During this service, we'll look at different types of prayer through a UU lens and consider why we might want to heed the admonition of UU Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom to "Simply pray!" regardless of what we believe.
Sue Magidson is a lifelong UU, a longtime member of the UU Church of Berkeley, and a third-year M.Div. student at Starr King School for the Ministry.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS
The UUP Men’s Group will meet at George Beeler's house on Friday, March 6th - tea 7pm, starting 7:30. Come join us at 100 Fair Street, cross street Douglas.
The UUP Board of Trustees will meet Monday, March 9th at 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad’s house.
Larking About, the UUP choir, meets Wednesdays at 8 pm at David Dodd and Diana Spaulding's house, 716 Bassett St. New singers are always welcome!

Links:
www.uupetaluma.org
Facebook Page (be sociable with UUP friends!)
Flickr Gallery